siobhain m cullen
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About
Hi all, I love Literature,particularly Nature Poetry,Prose and Shakespeare and look forward to sharing my passion for English with you. I enjoy too many to mention here, but special mention must be given to Seamus Heaney, Gerard Manley Hopkins,D H Lawrence, Shakespeare,John McGahern, Emily Bronte and Ted Hughes.
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in The Necklace
You could write about the way the status of Madame Loisel only appears to change through the wearing of the necklace and about how her confidence is false or only fleeting, a bit like Cinderella's... -
Answered a Question in Othello
In all fairness to Othello, he and Desdemona did not know each other very well in terms of a married man and wife relationship. They had not been married long and had only just enjoyed a few hours... -
Answered a Question in Le Morte d'Arthur
Think about Arthur's start in life in Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory when observing the development of his character. He started out in life as a sort of deal, to be given over at birth to fulfil... -
Answered a Question in Murder in the Cathedral
Martyrdom is undoubtably a central theme in 'Murder in The Cathedral' by T.S. Eliot. Before beginning any assignment on a theme, be sure you know what the terms mean. A martyr is someone who is... -
Answered a Question in Dreams from My Father
From reading Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama, it's clear that the absence of his father left a vacuum in his life with all the unresolved attachment/separation issues that that usually... -
Answered a Question in Ode on a Grecian Urn
The "story" in "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is pretty basic as it hardly exists at all as the "characters" are pictures on an ancient Greek vase. So, really, if there is any story it is about the poet... -
Answered a Question in Literature
The word sensuous refers to anything which affects the senses. That is sight,hearing,scent,touch and taste. In literature, we usually appreciate vivid imaginative writing that can evoke memories,... -
Answered a Question in Othello
Love existed already as Shakespeare's play 'Othello' opened - jealousy didn't. Jealousy could not have existed without the inrtroduction of one other very important element- doubt! This is where... -
Answered a Question in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The description of the sea water in Coleridge's 'The Rime of The Ancient Mariner' is reminiscent of the way oil appears when it is mixed with water. Imagine gasolene or diesel spill marks on roads.... -
Answered a Question in John Keats
The main similarity that links many of the odes of John Keats is that they alll represent the character of typical Romantic poetry in theme. He writes in vivid and imaginative style for example... -
Answered a Question in The Merchant of Venice
Here are some ideas for elements to include in your character sketch of Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice: 1) His occupation. 2) His religion 3) His financial status 4) His motivation... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Scrooge's attitude towards the first spirit is one of fear. It's important to remember that the first apparition Scrooge sees is not a spirit! That first... -
Answered a Question in In Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659
The tone of Anne Bradstreet's poem "In Reference To Her Children" is reflective, and perhaps even a little mournful. It has a bittersweet poignant atmosphere because the poet is remembering both... -
Answered a Question in Doctor Faustus
Dr. Faustus has aspirations of acquiring knowledge that reach far above the commonly perceived boundaries of the time - maybe even taking him beyond the 'forbidden tree of knowledge'But he doesn't... -
Answered a Question in Desert Places
In the poem 'Desert Places' by Robert Frost we have a lovely description in the first stanza. It is not only the snow falling, but the night too, and speed is referenced - it is happening quickly.... -
Answered a Question in Heart of Darkness
In Heart Of Darkness, Marlow changes in the sense that he moves towards self,whilst moving towards the centre of earth, taking on a whole new perspective as he does so. His character develops as he... -
Answered a Question in I'm Nobody! Who Are You?
In Emily Dickinson's poem 'I'm Nobody' the poet is speaking as a child and uses a child's voice. She makes a statement about herself - a decision she has already come to - and then asks a seemingly... -
Answered a Question in The Scarlet Ibis
One of the most powerful images in The Scarlet Ibis short story is the first, largest and most obvious one - the ibis itself, or rather, it's colour. Red is the colour of blood and as such has... -
Answered a Question in The Necklace
"The Necklace" short story by Guy De Maupassant is also concerned with humanity and spirituality and nature on a deeper level. The necklace was thought to have value, but turned out to be fake and... -
Answered a Question in The Canterbury Tales
Caxton also lived in Bruges in Belgium.This is important because the city was very influential in the trading of wool - a highly prized commodity in society at this time.Here he prospered and... -
Answered a Question in Murder in the Cathedral
The story of what happened between Thomas a Becket and Henry 11, King of England is certainly tragic, and the themes and causes that run through it certainly have roots in religious issues. The... -
Answered a Question in William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth seems to have had a soft spot in his heart for both Nature and Youth. Both, he perceives have innocence. One poem by Wordsworth which illustrates this point very well is from the... -
Answered a Question in The Chambered Nautilus
Holmes seems to be referring here to 'the work ethic' which will eventually lead to the hardest most virtuous workers getting on in life and improving their social situation. This has relevance to... -
Answered a Question in William Wordsworth
He almost couldn't help but write about Nature - it was in his very being right from the start.Nature was almost part of William Wordsworth's very being, even as a baby. His early childhood home... -
Answered a Question in A Passage to India
The most obvious element of separation in Forster's A Passage To India is that of the separation between the races, Indian from English, dark-skinned from white-skinned,Indian-speakers from... -
Answered a Question in The Necklace
In The Necklace (the short story by Guy De Maupassant) the necklace itself could be taken as a metaphor for the illusion that goodness and integrity,respect and status in society rely upon wealth... -
Answered a Question in The Catcher in the Rye
I really like the examples you gave....very thought-provoking. Very interesting that others accused F Scott Fitzgerald of the screenwriting 'come-down' too. I do think teens go through a stage... -
Answered a Question in The Sniper
In the short story "The Sniper" by Liam O'Flaherty, the author's main aim is to create two effects, firstly suspense and secondly, shock! To name or identify the main characters would dissipate the... -
Answered a Question in Richard Lovelace
'Stone Walls Do Not A Prison Make' by Richard Lovelace. In very brief summary, these lines from the poem by Richard Lovelace mean that it takes more than physical limits to imprison a person's mind... -
Answered a Question in Doctor Faustus
You need to think about whether Dr Faustus is designed to educate its theatre-going audiences about spiritual issues, for example whether those are the moral dangers of too much knowledge,... -
Answered a Question in Siegfried Sassoon
Before writing an essay on the analysis of the poem 'They' by First World War English poet Siegfried Sassoon, it's a good idea to make some notes, going through the poem line by line (and never... -
Answered a Question in The Tell-Tale Heart
In the short story 'The Tell Tale Heart' by Edgar Allen Poe, the author has one objective in mind - to quickly grab the attention of the reader, scare and intrigue the reader's curiosity,and hold... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
Interestingly, "Lord of the Flies" was the not the original title William Golding wanted for this novel. He first titled it something much blander. But typically, others - including publishers -... -
Answered a Question in Sons and Lovers
The ending chapters of the novel Sons and Lovers by D H Lawrence. Reading and literature are very subjective, so make sure you have read the book very closely and researched the background. That... -
Answered a Question in The Solitary Reaper
Suggested paraphrase ideas for the poem The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth Look at her, all alone, Girl from the Highland mountains of Scotland, Harvesting the grain. Pass by quietly, or... -
Answered a Question in The Necklace
Hopefully, in the previous paragraphs of your assignment, you have outlined some examples of the type of irony you have mentioned and tied them well into the piece, ideally by using some carefully...
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